1. Field of the Invention
The Laser Synchrotron Source (LSS) is a compact source of short-pulse, coherent or incoherent (near monochromatic), tunable, hard x-rays.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional x-ray sources rely on either the Bremsstrahlung radiation produced when energetic electrons are decelerated by high Z (atomic number) materials in common x-ray tubes, or synchrotron radiation produced by ultrahigh energy electron beams passing through magnetic undulators or dipoles in a Storage Ring Synchrotron Source (SRSS).
The x-rays produced in common x-ray tubes (Bremsstrahlung) have the undesirable properties of low power, long-pulses or continuous wave (CW), broadband, uncollimated, line spectra confined to atomic transitions and hence not tunable, unpolarized, and incoherent radiation.
The SRSS also have a number of unfavorable features and characteristics. Such sources require highly energetic electron beams, typically many GeVs which in turn require large and expensive facilities. The x-ray radiation generated by the SRSS has relatively long duration (&gt;100 ps) pulses, broadband, incoherent, low energy (&lt;50 keV), fixed polarization, not tunable and incapable of frequency chirping.